Indonesia Signs a Contract to Import 500,000 tons of Rice

December 21, 2023, 07.56 PM | Source: KONTAN.co.id

ILUSTRASI. A group of workers load and unload imported rice at Tanjung Priok Port, North Jakarta, on Thursday (12/10/2023). Perum Bulog imported a total of 24,000 tons of rice from Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Pakistan, which is part of the 2 million tons rice import assignment for 2023 to strengthen the Government Rice Reserve (CBP). ANTARA FOTO/Fakhri Hermansyah

IMPORT - JAKARTA. Perum Bulog has confirmed that the assignment of rice imports for 2023 is almost fully completed.

The CEO of Perum Bulog, Bayu Krisnamurthi confirmed that the last quota of 500,000 tons has been contracted with several countries, namely Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Myanmar.

"The last quota of 500,000 tons comes from Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, and some from Myanmar, obtained from many sources because the price is relatively expensive," said Bayu in a media briefing at the Bulog Office, on Friday (21/12).

For information, procuring 500,000 tons of rice imports is an additional assignment of 1.5 million tons of rice in 2023.

Bayu said that 500,000 tons of rice will be gradually imported in January 2024. The aim is to avoid overstocking of rice in Bulog warehouses.

Direktur Utama Perum Bulog Bayu Krisnamurthi

"If we bring it in quickly, we will be full and the storage cost will be much more expensive," concluded Bayu.

Bayu noted, that as of Wednesday (20/12/2023) the stock of Government Rice Reserves (CBP) controlled by Bulog reached 1.26 million tons. Then, the rice stock on its way to Bulog warehouses is as much as 494 thousand tons.

With the existing stock plus the stock of rice imported from this, Bayu ensures that the supply of Bulog rice will be sufficient for domestic rice needs until June 2024.

"So with the current Bulog stock with what will come in and what has been contracted, I assure you it will be enough until April, May until June 2024, whatever program the president makes" concluded Bayu.